VICTOR, NY — Growing up, Rachel Bateman visited her grandmother’s house in Westchester County a lot.
And Gramma had a galley kitchen, which sported a drawer where she stored cookies.
According to family lore, one day, when Bateman was about 3, she was in the kitchen, out of sight from the rest of her family. She had cookies on her mind.
Barely able to reach, Bateman pulled open the cookie drawer and just as her hand crept over the edge of the drawer, trying to reach a cookie for herself, she was busted.
Yes, she was literally caught red-handed with her hand in, well not the proverbial cookie jar, but the cookie drawer.
“True story,” Bateman said.
Meet the Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream contest winner
Family stories and memories of the raspberry cookie sandwiches that she loved eating — or sneaking — while growing up inspired the ice cream flavor that Bateman pulled together for her winning entry in the first Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream flavor contest. Her grandmother’s cookie drawer inspired the name, and “I think it’s always nice to have a story behind it,” Bateman said.
Gramma’s Cookie Drawer emerged as one of four finalists as determined by a team of judges. After a few weeks of tasting, customers deemed Bateman’s entry the winner.
Ordinarily, Bateman is a fan of Molly V’s owner Mike Vistocco’s Cookie Monster ice cream; her husband Alex goes for Lemon Cookies & Cream (and apparently is awaiting a new batch of Key Lime). Bateman, though, wanted to go with lighter fare and a more summer flavor for the contest and it worked.
“It tasted better than I thought,” said Bateman, who also tasted the ice cream flavors of other finalists in the contest and liked them, too. “It was fun to follow along. Of course, when the samples came out, I wanted to taste the competition.”
Molly V’s new Gramma’s Cookie Drawer ice cream
Vistocco made Gramma’s Cookie Drawer from the ingredients Bateman put together: White chocolate ice cream with shortbread cookies and raspberry swirl. Yum!
“I was really happy with how it turned out,” Bateman said. “I just wasn’t sure because it’s different than something I’d normally pick. Mike did a really good job with the cookies that he picked. I thought it went well together with the white chocolate ice cream.”
When word leaked out about winning flavor, Vistocco began hearing requests almost immediately. The flavor was expected to be available at the Victor ice cream shop during the June 7 weekend.
Bateman, who is seven months pregnant, and Alex Bateman have lived in Victor for nearly four years. Bateman, who rows with a local club when she can, works in marketing for TD Bank.
“I’m a big dessert fan, but I’m not really a big cook or a big baker,” Bateman said. “I have a big sweet tooth.”
The prize is right up her alley: Bateman wins free ice cream for a year.
More about the Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream contest
The contest started in March. Contestants were asked to create a flavor name and describe what the ice cream would taste like. More than 200 entries were submitted, and judges — Vistocco was not one of them — whittled the number down to four. More than 200 people voted during the final four.
Vistocco said he thought the contest went well and he received positive feedback from customers.
“They told me they enjoyed the contest and especially participating in choosing the winner,” Vistocco said.
More about Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream
Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream is at 31 W. Main St., Victor. Hours are 1 to 9 p.m. daily. Molly V’s ice Cream trailer and cart is available for events. Contact MollyVsHomemade@gmail.com or call 5585-433-5911.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
